This topic just wont seem to lie down at the moment... We are a long-term lessee of a large warehouse building, which has a fall arrest system fitted. Simple question, who has the responsibility for producing a rescue plan, as required by WAHR? Should we as the facility owners produce one for anyone to use - or should this be the responsibility of any contractor we engage to perform works? Or is it a mix - in that we notify contractors of the system installed and they produce their plans according to their anticipated works?

To answer the question I need to explain just a little more David. The system is described as fall arrest on the installers original certification and inspection sheets. But our likely contractor is asserting that it is installed in a fall restraint location (he then goes on to say that in this case a rescue plan is not needed - I don't have the same opinion). I would agree that it may be installed in a fall restraint position, with regard to the roof edges and ends of the building, in that it is located a minimum of 5 meters away from any such edge. BUT - the line (it is a horizontal line system) is located within half a meter along its entire length (200M) of a barrel vault, which is covered is transparent plastic panels. Most of these are visibly UV aged as they are around 10 years or so old. I regard this as a fragile surface. If anyone was to fall through (and in all likelihood, anyone maybe losing their balance and falling against it with any weight is likely to break a panel) they would be exposed to a fall of 12 meters of so, with little or no free space (free from obstructions) and therefore additionally very problematic to affect a rescue of a person left suspended. In some areas, we have installed mezzanine floors and there are ceilings between where a suspended worker may be and any rescuer. In view of all of this - I want to ensure that any contractor working on the roof make adequate provision to prevent a fall (consistent with the WAHR hierarchy) and maybe provide some sort of portable guarding between the worker on the walkway and the fragile barrel vault. Sorry for going on a bit... but I hope it helps clarify a few things.